The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for detecting a substance of interest. The methods and systems include contacting the substance of interest with a doped membrane, the doped membrane comprising at least one semi-permeable medium doped with at least one acid. The systems and methods further include desorbing the doped membrane to release the substance of interest, performing an analysis of the substance of interest, and detecting the substance of interest.

This composite semipermeable membrane is provided with: a porous supporting membrane that comprises a base and a porous supporting layer; and a separating function layer that is provided on the porous supporting layer. With respect to this composite semipermeable membrane, the standard deviation of pore radius of the separating function layer as determined by positron annihilation lifetime measurement is 0.025 nm or less.

A thin film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membrane includes a porous support with surfaces having thereon a hydrophilic self-assembled monolayer. An active layer on the support is sufficiently dense to remove an ionic species from a liquid.

A complex nanofiltration membrane comprising a substrate and a separating layer, wherein the separating layer is an oxidant-treated, crosslinked network structure formed from a hydroxyl-containing polymer, a thiol-containing silane coupling agent and a crosslinking agent, is disclosed. Also disclosed are a process for preparing the complex nanofiltration membrane and use of the complex nanofiltration membrane in water treatment.

A method of manufacture of crosslinked, edible, porous hollow fibers and sheet membranes suitable for the manufacture of clean meat products, the hollow fibers and sheet membranes made therefrom and methods of use thereof.

The present invention includes membranes comprising one or more cellulosic materials and wetting agent(s), and methods of making such membranes.

A thin film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membrane includes a porous support with surfaces having thereon a hydrophilic self-assembled monolayer. An active layer on the support is sufficiently dense to remove an ionic species from a liquid.

Disclosed herein are 2-stage membrane separation methods for capturing CO.sub.2 from a feed gas. The methods can employ two selectively permeable membranes, which may be the same or different. The selectively permeable membrane can have a carbon dioxide permeance of from 500 to 3000 GPU at 57? C. and 1 atm feed pressure and a carbon dioxide:nitrogen selectivity of from 10 to 1000 at 57? C. and 1 atm feed pressure. High pressure ratios across the membranes can be achieved by compressing the feed gas to a high pressure, by using vacuum pumps to create a lowered pressure on the permeate side of the membrane, by using a sweep stream, or a combination thereof. When a sweep stream is used, the sweep stream may include a portion of the retentate gas stream obtained from the retentate side of one or more of the membranes used.

The invention relates to a method for creating a porous film through aqueous phase separation, the method comprising: i) providing an aqueous solution comprising a responsive copolymer, and optionally a charged polymer, wherein at least one of the monomers in the responsive copolymer is a responsive monomer; ii) forming the aqueous solution into a thin layer and contacting the thin layer of aqueous solution with an aqueous coagulation solution in which the responsive copolymer is not soluble, or contacting the thin layer of aqueous solution with an aqueous coagulation solution in which a complex comprising the responsive copolymer and the charged polymer is not soluble; and iii) allowing solvent exchange between the aqueous solution and the aqueous coagulation solution to produce a porous film. The invention further relates to porous films or membranes thus obtained.

A water conditioning apparatus for separating organic compounds and dissolved solids from water. A membrane separates organic compounds from a liquid feed comprising water, organic compounds, and dissolved solids. A fluid passageway receives from the membrane, liquid from which the membrane has separated organic compounds, and allows the liquid to flow through the passageway. Magnets are disposed and oriented such that liquid flowing through the passageway passes through a magnetic field effect produced by the magnets. A precipitator receives fluid that has flowed through the magnetic field effect and collects particles that the magnetic field effect has caused to precipitate from the fluid.